Connect Random Information
When I am scanning in old family photos, I usually play Pandora in a browser. I have lots of different "radio" stations that I listen to including some from my past, some from my present, some from my favorite movie composers, and some are just based on other things I find I like in Pandora. The station I was listening to last night was Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield.
Most people remember this composition as the music of the horror movie The Exorcist, one of many great movies released in 1973. I was still in high school and some friends and I had driven 30 miles to Burlington to see this scary movie. I do remember that Mike Rizner and Beth Dwyer were with me (or I with them). I remember it was very scary and we stopped at McDonald's after the show. Ironically, it was the time of year that McDonald's were serving their green milkshakes. You could re-enact certain scenes from the movie. Gross!
We probably did not go to the movie in my hometwon of Middlebury because they had one theater, the Cinemax. It had one screen in 1973. Other movies that came out in that year and were probably playing at the Cinemax include Mean Streets, Paper Moon, Soylent Green, Live and Let Die, Westworld, The Sting, Serpico and Enter the Dragon.
There was Middlebury College. They had a theater where they showed movies. It was in 1973 that a group of us high school students went up to the College and saw the new release American Graffiti. If you have ever seen that (nd especially if you are from my hometown) you will remember the scene where Richard Dreyfus' character Curt is talking to Mr. Wolfe at the High School Dance.
Okay, back to the Exorcist. I liked the movie so much that I bought the paperback by William Peter Blatty. Yes, I did read books when I was in high school, and this particular book is an easy read. But something weird happened while I was reading this book. I usually read in my room with headphones playing music from FM radio. There was a Chicgao station I listened to that played all the hits with hardly any commercials. Back then, FM was similar to what satellite radio is now.
I was zipping through the book and I was reaching the climax where Father Merrin and Father Karras are performing the exorcism. And the song that came on the radio over the headphones was "The Lord's Prayer" sung by Sister Janet Mead. (Youtube Video) That was strange but the song was popular at the time so I thought it was just a coincidence. But what is even stranger is that I reread the book about three years later. I was at the same part of the book where the song had come on, and unbelievably, the song "The Lord's Prayer" came on the radio again. It was very close to the exact same page. I can tell you I did not reread it a third time but I still have the book on the shelf. Someday I will.
The next song that came on Pandora was by a guy named Trace Bundy. The song was really good so I decided to find out more about him. I found this TEDx video of him performing three different songs. He is amazing. Here is a link:
Most people remember this composition as the music of the horror movie The Exorcist, one of many great movies released in 1973. I was still in high school and some friends and I had driven 30 miles to Burlington to see this scary movie. I do remember that Mike Rizner and Beth Dwyer were with me (or I with them). I remember it was very scary and we stopped at McDonald's after the show. Ironically, it was the time of year that McDonald's were serving their green milkshakes. You could re-enact certain scenes from the movie. Gross!
We probably did not go to the movie in my hometwon of Middlebury because they had one theater, the Cinemax. It had one screen in 1973. Other movies that came out in that year and were probably playing at the Cinemax include Mean Streets, Paper Moon, Soylent Green, Live and Let Die, Westworld, The Sting, Serpico and Enter the Dragon.
There was Middlebury College. They had a theater where they showed movies. It was in 1973 that a group of us high school students went up to the College and saw the new release American Graffiti. If you have ever seen that (nd especially if you are from my hometown) you will remember the scene where Richard Dreyfus' character Curt is talking to Mr. Wolfe at the High School Dance.
Mr. Wolfe: Brother, how do I get stuck with dance supervision? Will you tell me that? You going back east? Boy, I remember the day I went off. Got drunk as hell the night before, just...Realize this, I was seeing the movie at Middlebury College with a room full of students from that school. When he said Middlebury, the place erupted with cheers and seriously, we did not hear the next five minutes of the movie.
Curt Henderson: Blotto.
Mr. Wolfe: Blotto, exactly. Barfed on the train all the next day, too.
Curt Henderson: Cute, very cute. Where'd you go again?
Mr. Wolfe: Middlebury, Vermont.
Curt Henderson: Right.
Mr. Wolfe: Got a scholarship.
Curt Henderson: Only stayed a semester?
Mr. Wolfe: One semester. After all that, I came back here.
Curt Henderson: Why did you come back?
Mr. Wolfe: I decided I wasn't the competitive type.
Okay, back to the Exorcist. I liked the movie so much that I bought the paperback by William Peter Blatty. Yes, I did read books when I was in high school, and this particular book is an easy read. But something weird happened while I was reading this book. I usually read in my room with headphones playing music from FM radio. There was a Chicgao station I listened to that played all the hits with hardly any commercials. Back then, FM was similar to what satellite radio is now.
I was zipping through the book and I was reaching the climax where Father Merrin and Father Karras are performing the exorcism. And the song that came on the radio over the headphones was "The Lord's Prayer" sung by Sister Janet Mead. (Youtube Video) That was strange but the song was popular at the time so I thought it was just a coincidence. But what is even stranger is that I reread the book about three years later. I was at the same part of the book where the song had come on, and unbelievably, the song "The Lord's Prayer" came on the radio again. It was very close to the exact same page. I can tell you I did not reread it a third time but I still have the book on the shelf. Someday I will.
The next song that came on Pandora was by a guy named Trace Bundy. The song was really good so I decided to find out more about him. I found this TEDx video of him performing three different songs. He is amazing. Here is a link:
Trace BundyWell, I am amazed how things are connected. What seems like randomness has form and structure. I love mathematics...
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